Chelsea
Reuters

Chelsea visit the Hawthorns to face West Bromwich Albion in what promises to be an exciting Premier League fixture. Blues' legends Roberto Di Matteo and Steve Clarke are set to face off against each other for the first time, as both managers look to maintain their clubs' top spots in the league table.

Where to Watch Live

Kick-off is set for 3pm GMT. Chelsea TV will have a build-up to the match from 2pm. Watch highlights of the game on Match of the Day on BBC One and BBC One HD at 10.30pm GMT.

Overview

Chelsea had a fantastic start to their season but their form dipped heavily after the October international break. Di Matteo's side have won just twice in their past six games in all competitions and have also failed to win their last three league matches, dropping from top spot into third place. The Blues have 24 points from 11 matches, three behind leaders Manchester United and one behind holders Manchester City.

West Brom, on the other hand, have enjoyed one of the best starts to their league in their history and are level on points (20) with fourth-placed Everton, with just United, City and Chelsea above them. Clarke's men have dropped just three points at home so far - a 2-1 defeat to City - and have posted impressive victories in the other five fixtures, which include a 3-0 win over Liverpool and a 2-0 triumph against Everton.

Meanwhile, this fixture offers a meeting with their former employers for both managers. Clarke, who made over 400 appearances for Chelsea during his playing days and was also assistant to Jose Mourinho and Avram Grant when they managed the Blues, takes on Di Matteo, who was in charge of West Brom between 2009 and 2011, helping them earn promotion to the Premier League in 2010.

History favours the Blues in this fixture as they have won 18 and lost just one of their last 21 games against the Baggies. However, that only loss came when the last time these two sides met - at the Hawthorns in March - a result that eventually led to the sacking of former Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas.

West Bromwich Albion
Reuters

Form Guide

West Bromwich Albion

  • Last Five (all competitions, most recent first): W W L L W
  • Last Match: Wigan Athletic 1 - 2 West Bromwich Albion

Chelsea

  • Last Five (all competitions, most recent first): D W D W L
  • Last Match: Chelsea 1 - 1 Liverpool

Team News

West Bromwich Albion: Boaz Myhill will once again feature in goal as Ben Foster continues his recovery after groin surgery. Clarke is sweating over the fitness of Gareth McAuley, who suffered a hamstring injury while on duty with Northern Ireland in midweek, while his fellow defender Craig Dawson has been suffering from blurred vision since last week after a training ground incident and remains unavailable.

Wing-back Steven Reid has recovered from a hamstring injury and played around an hour for the reserves last week but is unlikely to be involved. Midfielders James Morrison and Youssouf Mulumbu withdrew from the Scotland and Congo squads in midweek citing injuries but both are likely to be fit for this tie. Belgian forward Romelu Lukaku is ineligible as the west London outfit is his parent club.

Probable Line-Up (4-2-3-1): Myhill; Jones, McAuley, J Olsson, Ridgewell; Mulumbu, Yacob; Odemwingie, Morrison, Brunt; Long

Chelsea: Captain John Terry, who picked up a knee injury against Liverpool last week, will be out for around three weeks. David Luiz is back from illness, while Ashley Cole, who missed the Blues' last two games with a hamstring strain, has a good chance of being fit for this trip. However, the game has come too soon for Frank Lampard, who has only just recovered from a calf problem.

Probable Line-Up (4-2-3-1): Cech; Ivanovic, Cahill, Luiz, Cole; Ramires, Mikel; Mata, Oscar, Hazard; Torres

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